Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in the Leafy, Fruit, and Root Vegetables Cultivated Near Mongla Industrial Area, Bangladesh

Abstract

Background: Vegetables are the main source of nutrients for the human being but the intake of contaminated vegetables causes several diseases. Therefore, the aims of this study were to examine heavy metals concentration in leafy, fruit and root vegetables and their growing soil in Mongla, Bangladesh; and to estimate the health risks (non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic) caused by heavy metal exposure through ingestion of vegetable using hazard quotient (THQ) and target cancer risk (TCR). Methods: United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) deterministic approaches were used to assess the potential health risks to the human. Results: The average concentration of Fe, Cd, and Pb was 489.47, 0.48 and 8.15 mg/kg respectively, which was above the permissible limit recommended by WHO/FAO. Furthermore, THQ values for these metals and combined impacts of all metals (HI) were greater than the acceptable limit (1.0) which indicated a potential non-carcinogenic health risk. TCR values of Cd and Pb were greater than USEPA risk limit (>10 -6); which exerts moderate to high carcinogenic risk to the human. Conclusion: The total health risk index showed that the consumption of vegetables from this study area poses a health risk and therefore regular monitoring of heavy metals is strongly recommended.